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NYT article about obesity stating it's genetic, not lack of willpower
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BrunetteRunner87
Posts: 591 Member
in Debate Club
I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
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I agree with your first thought. LOC.8
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Yes, there is a genetic component. No, it does not make losing fat impossible. Frankly, I think environmental and social factors play into obesity far more. We live in a time and area in the developed world with unprecedented availability of high calorie yet inexpensive food. That along with social patterns that make us less active overall (lower NEAT) is a prime recipe for those who have a genetic tendency to put on fat easily to be able to do so.45
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We're all playing the same game... all these factors simply dictate which cards we are dealt. It is up to each individual to decide how they want to play that hand. Yes, some hands are better than others, but you can choose whether or not you want to fold.37
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My family were all obese. Both my mother and I lost the weight and she kept hers off for 11 years before she died, I've kept mine off so far for nine years. I was only obese for about five years of my life and it was due to stress eating and working at a restaurant where I had free access to soda pop, french fries and ice cream.
Sure, we are genetically and environmentally prone to this. It isn't inevitable. What a click-baity article.14 -
Genetic predisposition doesn't put the excess calories in your mouth.
You have agency here, do you just sit back and accept your fate? I don't get this line of thinking with the genetic argument for obesity.
No one thinks that a genetically caused cancer should go untreated, but if it's obesity? Well, then it's okay!40 -
Something in that article just rubs me wrong.
I do agree that most GPs don't get enough training in nutrition and in how to deal with obesity (my previous GP's advice was: cut out fat...). But from this to say that doctors are 'negligent' for not suggesting a major surgical intervention as if it were a small matter (and not something that permanently changes a body with no possibility of reversal) is just wrong. Surgery (any surgery) should always be a last resort due to all the possible complications.
Also, the article's suggestion that people shouldn't attempt to manage their weight-loss on their own is, in my opinion, somewhat preposterous, especially seeing all the success stories on here.
As far as I'm concerned it's a scaremongering piece of *kitten*, not even very well written, that rests on a 'representative' survey of barely 1'500 people. How that can be representative is beyond me to be honest.
Last point... I should have checked who ordered the survey before anything else...
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If it were genetics, why do we now have more obesity than 20 years ago?33
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It's definitely an area that needs more research, however for me and my own experience-I come from a long line of obese/overweight family members. Several years ago I was also overweight and a pre-diabetic. But, I decided to lose the weight, learn how to have a healthy and sustainable relationship with food, and from day one I focused on the long term-what would happen beyond the short weight loss phase. And here I am today several years into maintenance, with great blood work every year (glucose numbers now consistently under 100), while pretty much all my living family members are overweight/obese.
I may very well be genetically predisposed, but that doesn't mean that will be the final outcome. Why am I successful when my mom and sisters, grandparents and uncles aren't? One big difference I've noticed is that I've learned how to keep eating all the foods I like, within my calorie goals, and they've all focused more on the latest fad diets, where a lot of arbitrary restrictions were put on what they could eat. And they've never been able to stick with any of it long term.11 -
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What if it's neither - not genetic, nor a lack of willpower - just a dynamic between our natural instincts, our play/work and food environments, social and cultural norms, media, food manufacturers, diet industry and government policies for everything from transportation to nutritional guidelines? Nah, it's probably genetic and/or willpower. Wash your hands on the way out.9
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cmriverside wrote: »
evolution takes generations and natural selection even longer, like in the 100's if not 1000's of years to show up.4 -
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If it were genetics, why do we now have more obesity than 20 years ago?
Good point. But if it was willpower, then why do we apparently have much less willpower than 20 years ago?
And why do I apparently have much less willpower than I did 20 years ago? But more than I did four years ago, when I was heavier?
I think it has to be mixture of genetics and other factors. I find it difficult to believe it's just down to a massive decrease in the population's willpower.3 -
cmriverside wrote: »
evolution takes generations and natural selection even longer, like in the 100's if not 1000's of years to show up.
oh, for pete sake. No kiddin'?
I said "no."6 -
Genetics is not destiny. Even something like height is mutable by environmental conditions.
On the flip side, saying something is NOT entirely genetic is not the same as saying it IS a choice.1 -
Also, I don't know if this makes much difference statistically, but people are getting taller (in the UK at least, but it might be a general trend). If you look at the BMI calculations, taller people have a higher BMI than shorter people with the same proportions.
There was a study of body sizes done a few years ago in the UK, comparing to a study done in 1951. I was surpised to see that the average woman a few years ago was only 7.5 lb heavier than the average woman in 1951. Those few pounds are enough to take a lot of people over the threshold for overweight.3 -
If it were genetics, why do we now have more obesity than 20 years ago?
Good point. But if it was willpower, then why do we apparently have much less willpower than 20 years ago?
And why do I apparently have much less willpower than I did 20 years ago? But more than I did four years ago, when I was heavier?
I think it has to be mixture of genetics and other factors. I find it difficult to believe it's just down to a massive decrease in the population's willpower.
The problem is complex and multi-factorial, but it certainly doesn't just come down to genetics. To ignore the multitude of involved factors/issues cascading upon each other is a shallow, one-dimensional approach which will accomplish nothing.4 -
Heredity is not destiny as the saying goes.
Nature .v. nurture / genes .v. environment? It's a bit of both. We can't readily change our genes but we can improve our environment to get the odds in our favour.
Do the best you can. Be happy. That's good enough.7
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